Summer Heat
by bakaheartsanime
Summary: Derek, Casey, and their friends go on a summer vacation. While there, Derek and Casey start realizing things they never had before. Dasey. Please R&R!
1. Vacations, Couples, and Jealousy

**Mmkay, so this is my first try at a Life with Derek fic. I hope you enjoy it and please, please review!**

**Note: I don't know many of Derek or Casey's friends so I just used Sam and Emily and made the rest of them up.**

**Warning: this will be a Dasey, so if you don't like, don't read.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Life with Derek.**

**On with the fic!**

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Summer Heat  
Chapter 1: Vacations, Couples, and Jealousy

"Make sure you eat enough and it's healthy!" my mom called to us as we headed towards the door, bags in tow.

"Okay, mom," I answered, smiling sweetly.

"And make sure you get to bed by 10 each night."

"Yeah, _okay_, Nora," Derek said with a little too much attitude.

Mom didn't seem to notice, "Oh, and make sure you wear lots of sunscreen. Sun burn can cause skin cancer, you know."

"We'll be fine, mom. Stop worrying," I told her.

"I know you will be, it's just… It's your first big trip away and I'm a little nervous."

She came over and threw her arms around me, practically squeezing me to death.

"Okay, mom, okay."

She backed away, tears threatening to come to her eyes. Then she looked over at Derek.

"No, Nora," he pleaded.

She ignored his words, embracing him tightly.

"Bye guys," she said as we opened the door and walked out, "have fun!"

It was early July and the middle of summer vacation. Me, Derek, and a couple of our friends were heading to the beach for two weeks of fun in the sun.

Okay, confused? Why would Derek and I, opposites and mortal enemies, choose to spend two weeks on vacation together? Well, truth is, we didn't. Paul thought it up as a plan to get us to stop fighting. He ran it by our parents and they loved. Derek and I, however, did not. At first I was completely against it, but as time wore on the scheme kinda grew on me. I mean, two weeks away from my crazy life at home, just relaxing on the beach? It was perfect. A little annoyance from Derek wasn't going to be too hard to handle.

So, there we were, in Sam's car, driving to a condo we rented at the beach. I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes, breathing in the clear summer air. This was gonna be great.

DDD

Okay, this was _not_ going to be great.

Casey, me, and our friends had just gotten to the condo. You want to know how many rooms there are? Three. Three bedrooms with two beds each! You want to know how many people are here? Eight. Eight fucking people and six beds. That means two people without beds. And you want to know where I get to sleep? I, the great Derek, have to sleep in the living room with Ms. they're-guests-so-we-have-to-be-generous-and-give-them-the-beds Casey. Now who do you think claimed the couch for her pretty little self? That's right- Casey. I'm stuck sleeping on the floor.

"Be grateful I'm not making you sleep outside, Derek," Casey laughed, obviously finding amusement in my pouting.

"As if you could," I retorted huffily.

"Come on, it's not that bad. It's only for two weeks. And if you really hate it so much, you can sleep on the couch for the second week."

"Oh joy."

"God, Derek, I'm just trying to be considerate, okay? It's not like we have a choice whether or not we can be here," she said, annoyed with me.

"Yeah, well, we did have a choice whether or not to sleep in the living room," I complained.

"You're such a baby!" she yelled, then sighed, calming down, "We're going to the beach. Either you can sit here sulking or you can come with us and maybe have some fun."

I got up, still sullen.

"Fine."

CCC

I dragged Derek out of his pouting by suggesting a trip to the beach. Emily, Maureen, Sam, and Micah were coming with us. Kat and Chase decided they were going to stay in.

I went into the bathroom and slipped on my new bikini. It was light blue with brown polka-dots and was extremely cute, if I do say so myself. I threw on a pair of jean shorts and came out, ready to go. When we walked out onto the beach it was absolutely packed. There was barely room to step anywhere.

"Great idea, Case," Derek said sarcastically, "this is gonna be a blast."

"Derek, don't whine. It will be fun, you'll see," I replied, deciding not to let him bug me.

After about twenty minutes of searching, we finally found a spot just big enough for us to put down a blanket.

"Alright, who's up for a swim?" Sam asked, excited.

No one responded.

"Come on," he whined, "We're not just going to sit in the sun tanning all day, are we?"

Again, no response.

He groaned, "Great."

"It won't be forever," Emily laughed, "We'll swim sometime."

I laid down on my stomach, putting my cheek on my arm so I was looking to my left. I saw Emily lying down and Sam sitting next to her, rubbing sunscreen on her back. Confused, and kind of disgusted, I turned my head over to see Derek lying down on his back, a shirt covering his eyes. I elbowed him in the side.

"What?" he growled, glaring at me.

"When did that happen?" I asked, motioning towards Sam and Emily.

He looked over at them.

"I don't know. Why do you even care, didn't you two break up?"

I made a face, but I couldn't argue. We had broken up. But was it really okay for Emily to just get together with someone I had been dating for so long without even talking to me? It bothered me, but I tried to ignore it, keeping my head facing Derek instead.

_When had Derek gotten so good looking?_ I thought, then immediately regretted it. Oh my god! No, no, no! Derek was _not_ good looking at all! He was my step-brother for god's sake! Why had I thought that? _Why?_

I turned my head over, away from Derek, but then I saw Emily and Sam again. I turned back and found myself once again thinking about Derek. I couldn't look at either!

I pushed myself up and gathered my things.

"I'm going back inside."

"What?" Emily sat up, "But you've only been out here for five minutes!"

"I'm just a little thirsty, ok?"

"I've got a drink," Maureen said, holding up a bottle of water.

"Um, no thanks. I'm kind of in the mood for, um… juice or something," I stuttered lamely.

I turned and started walking away, towards the condo.

God, why did Emily have to get together with Sam? How rude could she get? And she didn't even realize it was so wrong.

_But is it really that wrong?_ A voice in the back of my head asked me. _Or are you just jealous?_

I questioned that for about a second before I got angry again. Of course it's wrong. And it's Emily fault, so stop blaming it on me. I'm not jealous.

I'm _not_.

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**That was the first chappie! Hope you liked and, again, please review! Reviews make the world go round!**


	2. Rants, Breakfasts, and Shirtlessness

**Hiya. Back again for chappie two. Hope you enjoyed the first one and thankies to all you who reviewed! huggles the reviewers**

**Warning: Dasey. Don't like don't read.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything. Blah blah blah.**

**So, enjoy chapter two!!**

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Summer Heat  
Chapter 2: Rants, Breakfasts, and Shirtlessness

DDD

It seems like Sam and Emily have just recently become a couple. I talked to Sam about it later and he said they had been on a few dates before, but didn't want to tell anybody yet. I was totally cool with it. Sam's dating someone that, thankfully, isn't my step-sister and it's nice to finally have Emily off my back. Casey on the other hand… well, she's not exactly what I'd call supportive.

"How could they do that?" Casey paced back and forth in the living room, ranting to me about the newly formed pair, "I mean I've been broken up with Sam for what- a week?"

"Actually, it's been quite a while…"

"And did I ever, _ever_ tell her I was over Sam? I mean, it is totally unfair that she just swoops in and picks up _my_ guy!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. _Your_ guy? You two broke up! So why the hell is he still _your _guy?" I practically yelled, not quite sure why I was getting so angry.

"Well, it's implied. She shouldn't do that. It's like your stupid male code, but a girl code. Ex's are off-limits unless the girl says she's completely over him and its okay. And even then, it's still not encouraged."

"Well, you called my male code completely idiotic. What makes your 'girl code' any more sane?"

"It just… it just is!" Casey screamed.

"Okay, okay, be quiet. You'll wake everyone up," I said, for once being the reasonable one.

She sighed, plopping down next to me on the couch. She let her head flop back onto the couch cushion, closing her eyes in frustration. I looked at her. She was in her pajamas; a blue tank top and matching striped pants. Her hair was loose and hung messily down onto her shoulders. Her face was washed clean of her usual mask of make-up. Looking at her then, I realized she really was pretty attractive, I couldn't deny it. Before, all the guys saying she was hot used to really confuse me, but I could actually kind of understand it. If she wasn't my step-sister, I'd probably have been dating her.

"I'm just tired of it," she said, snapping me back to reality.

_Whoa_, I thought, _did I just say that I would _date_ my own _step-sister? _What the hell is wrong with me! It's Casey for god's sake! Of course I wouldn't!_

She lifted her head and looked at me, those blue eyes piercing my own. I stared back, right into her eyes.

_Then again…_

"Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you get up? I wanna get to bed."

"Oh. Yeah, sure. Sorry."

I got up. God, what had I been expecting? '_Derek, I love you, kiss me right now'_? Of course she wouldn't say that.

Wait, why would I _want_ her to say that? I wouldn't!

I lay down on the floor, waiting for her to turn off the light. When she didn't, I lifted my head, looking up at her.

"Derek?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"…Could you get the lights?"

CCC

God. This Sam and Emily thing is getting way out of hand. I caught them kissing earlier! _Kissing_! It made me want to throw up! It's so repulsive, seeing them together! I don't… oh, who am I kidding? It's not repulsive, it's saddening. I don't want to see them together because, I have to say it, I'm jealous. I still have feelings for Sam. I thought I didn't, but now that he's gone I just… I want him back. I miss him, I really do.

But right at the moment, there was nothing I could do about it. If I got back together with him, then I'd be breaking up him and Emily. And then I'd be going out with _her _ex. And then I'd just be a big hypocrite. I couldn't do that to her. I was stuck sitting on the sidelines and it sucked. Big time.

"Sa-am!" Emily called in what she probably thought was a cute voice, "Come on out, I haven't seen you all night! I miss you!"

Sam opened the door, smiling.

"I missed you, too, Em," he told her, then leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

God. And he complained when I wanted a monthaversary? Emily is much more sickeningly girly!

"Oh, Sammy," Derek said in a sing-song voice, stopping next to them, "I haven't seen you in almost 15 minutes! C'mere you big lug!"

He leaned in and made kissing noises, while wrapping his arms around his friend's neck.

Well, at least he didn't get off too easily with that.

Derek backed away after getting bashed in the head and headed toward the living room. It was just then that I realized he had no shirt on. And that I was staring.

"Enjoying the view?"

"What view?" I asked, turning away and pretending to not care.

What was with that? I live with him. I've seen him without a shirt before. But somehow, being out here where we weren't at home with everyone else, it was different. I felt like I was somehow looking at something I shouldn't be. And, even worse, enjoying it.

He came around the couch, pulling a shirt over his head.

"We're going out for breakfast, you coming?"

"And watch more of the raging teen hormones show?" I asked, motioning back at Sam and Emily, "No thank you."

The rest of them left, Derek told them I wasn't feeling well. I was really starting to get stressed out. This trip was supposed to be fun and relaxing, but instead it was painfully distressing. All because of Sam and Emily. And I couldn't even tell them how I felt or else I'd just be being a bad friend. This was not turning out the way I wanted it to. The best part of the trip was probably seeing Derek. And I didn't even get to do that very often considering he was usually out with everyone else.

Wait, wait, wait, back up. Did I just say the best part of this trip was seeing Derek? My _step-brother_ Derek?

Man, I'm so stressed I'm starting to lose it.

DDD

Breakfast was horrible. There were three couples and then me. Of course Casey had to stay home, so I had no one at all. Not that I would want Casey there or anything, but still.

They were making out practically the entire time. They barely paused to eat. It was sickening. And what's worse is that looking at Sam and Emily, all I could think of was how upset Casey had been. I wanted to scream out, 'God, you guys are being such morons!' But could I? No. I had complained when Sam dated my step-sister and if I complained when he was finally dating someone other than her, then what would he say? I wouldn't be letting him date anyone.

Anyway, boy, was I relieved when we finally left. I guess it showed because as soon as I walked into the living room Casey gave me a weird look and said, "What's with the smile? You like me now or something?"

I twisted my face into a half-scowl, "Ugh, gross. I'm just glad I'm finally out of that freak-fest at breakfast."

"That bad, huh?" she smirked.

"Just be thankful you stayed home."

I sat down on the couch next to her. We really seemed to be getting closer on this vacation. Mostly because we were the only two that weren't always off with a boyfriend or girlfriend. I hate to admit it, but it was actually kind of nice. Surprisingly, Casey was pretty easy to talk to. But, that doesn't mean I _like_ her or anything. God, no.

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**Yep. So, hope you liked it and review, review, review!! hehe.**


	3. Nights, Beaches, and more shirtlessness

**Hey everybody! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I really love reading them, so huggles for all of you! Yep, so... here's chapter 3. It's a little short, but hopefully the Dasey-ness will satisfy you and I'll try to update again soon so as not to deprive you of the real drama (and don't you worry,** **there's a LOT more drama coming). So, anyways, hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: Yep. Don't own and all that.**

**So, without further adieu, the fic!**

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Summer Heat  
Chapter 3: Nights, Beaches, and, uh, more shirtlessness.

CCC

That night after everyone had gone to sleep, I lay awake on the couch. I couldn't sleep at all; too much on my mind, I guess. After a while, I turned over and looked down at the floor where Derek lay.

"Derek?" I called softly.

After a moment he replied with a groggy 'yeah?'

"Are you asleep?"

"Not anymore."

"…I can't sleep."

"That's nice," he said and through the dark I saw him turn away from me.

"Der-rek," I whined.

I heard him sigh.

"What do you want me to do?"

I stayed silent, not quite sure what I had expected from him. He got up and I saw a faint outline of his hand stretch out towards me. Confused, I questioned it.

"Let's go to the beach."

"What?"

"You won't go when Sam's there, right? Well, he won't be there now."

I could just imagine the smirk on his face.

_Man, I'm gonna regret this._

I took his hand and he pulled me up off of the couch. The two of us headed quietly out of the condo. When we got out onto the beach I knew I was wrong. I was so glad I came out. It was beautiful. The moon was dazzling; almost full. It shone brightly, its light hitting the water, making it highlight in just the right places. The ocean's silvery surface sparkled magnificently in turn and the whole affect was breathtaking.

"Wow…" I whispered, amazed.

"It's really wonderful, isn't it?" Derek asked.

I was surprised to hear him describe it that way. I would've thought he'd think this kind of thing was hopelessly romantic and basically idiotic.

"Yeah, it is," I said.

After what seemed like a really long time of us just standing there staring out into the water, he turned towards me.

"Let's go for a swim."

"What?" I questioned his suggestion yet again.

"You know, get in the water, move our arms and legs so we float…"

"It'll be freezing!" I protested, looking at him as if he were insane.

This time I clearly saw the smirk spread over his face.

"We'll have each other to keep warm, won't we?"

I just stared at him.

"Come on."

He grabbed my hand and started dragging me towards the ocean. When we were about two feet away, he let go, stripped off his shirt, then ran into the water. When he got deep enough he dived under. He came back up and turned to face me, motioning for me to come forward.

I shook my head, "I don't even have a bathing suit!"

"Do I?" he called back.

"Agh, that's different!"

He started to drag himself back out of the water, towards me.

"No… no, no, no, no! Derek, doooon't!"

He came out and wrapped his dripping wet, not to mention freezing cold, arms around me. Then he picked me up and carried me into the ocean. I struggled, but he was too strong and I couldn't get him off. He dropped me in and I fell, the water coming up to my shoulders. I stood with a shriek, shivering.

"Derek, its freezing!"

He grinned smugly.

"Is it now?"

I stamped my foot, which only resulted in the water splashing up, making me even colder. I whined.

"Oh, stop complaining," he said hitting my arm slightly.

"Don't hit me!" I replied jokingly, pushing him.

His eyebrows furrowed, but the smile remained. He pushed me back, then I practically tackled him and we both fell over into the water. After we stopped laughing, I looked at him and he looked back at me. His eyes were so deep, so full of emotion, so… beautiful. Just then, I finally realized how we were sitting. He was sitting back, his legs outstretched and I was half sitting on his lap, half straddling him.

I'm guessing he realized, too because he turned his head, blushing furiously.

I blushed as well, then stood, awkwardly looking back at the shore.

"Um, we should probably be getting back," he mumbled.

I had never seen him so flustered before. In fact, I don't think I'd ever seen him flustered at all. He always managed to keep his cool.

I nodded and we both started to head for the shore. He picked up his shirt and pulled it over his head, then we walked back to the condo.

Man, that was awkward. Straddling my own step-brother? But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't think of it in a bad way. And I couldn't get those eyes out of my mind.

…those beautiful eyes.

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**Hope you liked it! Please review! Come on, you know you wanna. )**


	4. Dreams, Realizations, and Expectations

**Hey! Back for chapta numba four! Yup. Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews for chapter 3! I was worried about it all being Daseyness, but everyone seemed to like it a lot! So, thankies to all of you guys who reviewed! And all those who didn't... well, fooey on you. Review next time. As in this time. Review now. Reviewing es muy bueno. Si.**

**So, um, anyway, Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the plot.**

**So, enjoy the fic!**

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Summer Heat  
Chapter 4: Dreams, Realizations, and Expectations

DDD

"Derek… oh, Derek…" Casey breathed as she lay beside me, stroking my hair.

"Casey…" I whispered back.

"I love you… Derek… Derek…"

"DEREK!"

My eyes flew open and I stared up at an angry looking Sam. Groaning, I turned over.

"I'm sleeping. Go away."

"It's time to go to breakfast," he said, annoyed.

I grunted. Yeah, I really wanted to see that again.

"Yeah, I really want to see that again," I told him, "Go without me."

"Gladly. You've been weird lately, Derek."

"Weird?" I questioned.

"Yeah, like you're fed up with me or something," he explained, actually looking kind of hurt.

"Sorry, man. It's just… nothing. I guess I was in a bad mood."

Sam smiled like he totally didn't believe me, but I didn't care.

"Okay, well, Casey's staying, too."

I nodded, lying back down as Sam walked away.

_Casey…_

I sat up quickly, a realization hitting me.

_What the hell was with that dream?_

CCC

I stood in the shower, rinsing my head absentmindedly. My mind was a little preoccupied thinking about Derek. Yes, that's right. Derek. I mean, before, I was feeling jealous of Sam and Emily, so I figured I wasn't over Sam. But the more I thought about it, the more I started to realize that that wasn't true. I was over Sam, I just wasn't really ready to see him full on with another girl; especially not my best friend. And the more I thought about being completely over Sam, the more I thought about _liking_ Derek. And I don't mean in a step-sibling way. It would've seemed so impossible even just a month or two ago, but now… I don't know. It actually felt kind of… right.

Anyway, I was just looking forward to a good two hours of relaxation before they all came home from breakfast. I quickly washed the last of the shampoo out of my hair and turned off the water. Then I grabbed my towel, wrapped it around myself, and stepped out of the shower. After blow-drying my hair, I opened the bathroom door and walked out. Derek was standing in the middle of the living room with his back to me, changing. And I don't just mean he had no shirt on. I'm talking… the whole deal.

_Oh my god… Oh my GOD!_

I slapped my hands over my eyes and ran back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I had just seen Derek completely exposed. This was horrifying, absolutely horrifying.

And the most sickening part? Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard something say… he looked _good_.

DDD

After about 15 minutes of trying to convince myself that the dream did NOT mean I liked Casey, I decided I would get up and get dressed. I gathered some clothes and headed towards the bathroom. When I got there, I heard the hair dryer running. Casey was in there and I was not ready to face her yet. I walked back into the living room and put my clothes on the couch.

_Well, she probably won't be out for a while…_

I started to change my clothes. Suddenly I heard a door slam and looked up. There was nothing there.

_Huh, probably nothing._

I kept changing. About two minutes later, realization settled in.

_FUCK!_

Casey. Saw. Me. Naked. She saw me fucking without clothes on! This was horrifying. This was beyond horrifying. First the dream, now this? What a fucking _great _day I was having. And it wasn't even ten in the morning.

CCC

"Damn it, what am I gonna do now?" I said to myself.

I was sitting with my back against the door, still in the bathroom.

"I can't go out there, I can't face him. But I can't stay in here either. He'll suspect something. If he doesn't already know, that is. Maybe if I go out now and pretend like nothing's wrong he won't suspect anything."

I stood and cautiously opened the door, peeking out the crack. I gasped in shock as Derek walked past, heading for the kitchen. He turned, staring at me.

"Uh, uh… you, um, scared m-me," I stumbled over the words as if they were huge logs in the road.

"Yeah…" Derek mumbled, continuing towards the kitchen.

_That was weird_, I thought, _does he know…?_

I walked in the opposite direction into the living room, grabbed jeans and a t-shirt, and went back into the bathroom to change. When I came out I stood outside the door, breathed in deep, preparing myself, then walked into the kitchen. Derek stood, looking into the open refrigerator.

"Derek?" I said meekly.

He didn't even look away from the fridge. I continued.

"Are you mad at me?"

He turned. "What?"

"You seem mad at me."

"Yeah, well, I think I have good reason," he said irritably.

Somehow just then my mouth decided it wanted to play innocent.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean? I mean you coming out of the bathroom while I was changing!" he practically yelled, walking closer to me.

"Huh?"

He stopped, but at that point he was already only about a foot away from me.

"You mean you didn't?"

"Come out? I don't think so… If I did, it must've gotten, like, wiped out of my mind." I said, backing up a little bit. Being so close was getting kind of uncomfortable.

He closed the gap I had made.

"Are you sure?" he asked, staring into my eyes.

I could feel myself getting less and less believable by the second.

"Yeah," I said lamely.

"Fine."

He suddenly walked past me, out of the kitchen.

"I'm going out," he called.

"Wait, Derek…"

"Yeah?"

I stood at the doorway to the kitchen. I didn't want him to leave. He was still angry at me and I didn't want him to be. I would never have cared before, but now… it troubled me. I couldn't help the feeling that was steadily rising in me. I felt like I was about to burst. I… I wanted Derek. And it definitely wasn't just raging teenage hormones. I didn't want Sam; I didn't want any other guy. I wanted Derek.

"N-never mind…"

I'd have to hold it in. I couldn't tell him. He didn't like me back and he never would. I was just the girl he was unfortunate enough to have to be step-sisters with.

I turned back into the kitchen and leaned my head on the wall, closing my eyes. I heard the door slam.

_I'm pathetic…_

All of a sudden, Derek rushed back into the kitchen. I gasped.

"I forgot my wallet," he said flatly, grabbing his wallet from the table.

Then he walked out once again.

I sighed deeply, sliding down against the wall until I was on the floor.

"God, I'm such an idiot. I actually thought for a second that maybe he had come back for me…"

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**Not my favorite chapter, but... I was too lazy to change it. If you guys didn't like it at all, tell me and I'll rewrite it. So, well, review! Like I said, reviewing es muy bueno. :****3**


	5. Boy Night, Girl Night & Misunderstanding

**Welcome to chapter... what is it now? Five? Hey, guess what! This is the farthest I've ever gotten on any fic ever! Yay! -throws confetti- So, um, anyway, yep. This is chapter five! Hope you all like it and, once again, thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews! Keep 'em comin'!!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, not mine.**

**Enjoy!**

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Summer Heat  
Chapter 5: Boys' Nights, Girls' Nights, and Misunderstandings

CCC

I spent the rest of the day trying to avoid Derek at all costs. It was easy enough, seemed like he was avoiding me, too. At one point that night the guys came in and told us they were going for a 'boys' night out', Derek's idea. After they left, Kat, Maureen, and Emily decided that just because the guys left there was no reason the girls should have to sit at home pouting. They asked me if I wanted to come out, too, but I turned them down.

"Gimme a second, girls," Emily told them, sitting next to me on the couch.

I didn't even turn my head to look at her.

"Casey? Are you mad at me or something?" she asked.

"No."

"Casey, it's pretty obvious you are. Is it… is it because of Sam?"

"I don't know, whadda _you_ think?" I spat.

"Look, I'm sorry. I thought you were over Sam. Really, I did… I'll break up with him if you want me to…"

I sighed, softening.

"No, Em," I turned to her, "I don't want you to do that. I'm sorry. I am over Sam, it just isn't that easy for me to see him with another girl. Let alone my best friend… Don't break up, please don't. I haven't seen either of you so happy in a while."

"I should've talking to you first," she admitted.

"No shit," I answered, laughing, "friends?"

She leaned forward and hugged me, relieved probably.

"Definitely. Now come out. We'll have a grand ol' time."

I laughed, "Fine."

Who knows, maybe it'd finally take my mind off Derek.

DDD

Sam, Micah, Chase, and I left the condo at about nine. We headed for the nearest club, anywhere we could party all night. I just wanted to get my mind off of Casey, something I hadn't been able to do all day, even though I avoided her like the plague.

"Hey, this place looks good," I heard Micah say.

I looked up at the building. It had a huge neon sign reading 'JAXX' above the door. Through the windows colored lights were flashing like crazy and the hip-hop music was blasting so loudly we could hear it before we even opened the door.

"Looks loud," Sam commented.

"Looks crowded," Chase added.

I smirked.

"Looks great."

The four of us had no trouble passing for 21 and before we knew it we were inside. It was crazy. It was even louder and brighter inside. The DJ was in the far corner, the bar on the other side, and the dance floor was packed, everyone dancing wildly.

"I'm going to dance," I said, then walked toward the dance floor and tried to squeeze in to where there might actually be hot girls.

After getting about five feet in, I gave up and just started to dance. Before I knew it, there was a girl beside me, dancing really close.

"Hey," I said to her.

"Hi," she replied cutely, "I'm Teagan."

"Derek."

She smirked, then dipped down, coming back up practically against me. After dancing for quite a while, she placed her arms around my neck, pulling me close to her.

"You wanna get a drink?"

"Sure."

We struggled out of the crowd (not the easiest task) and walked over to the bar, sitting down. Both of us ordered a drink and then we started to talk. Or rather, she talked and I just sat there listening to her seemingly endless ramble. I zoned out pretty quickly and found myself thinking about how much more interesting Casey was. Yeah, that's right. Even talking to another girl somehow brought me back to thinking of Casey. I was hopeless.

"Don't you think, Derek?"

What had she said before that? I strained my brain to remember but I hadn't been paying attention. I just went for the easiest.

"Yeah."

"Then let's go!" she stood, pulling me with her.

We headed to the bathrooms, I wasn't exactly sure why. When we got to the hall outside of the bathrooms she pushed me against the wall and put her hands on my neck. Then she leaned in close and pressed her lips against mine, hard.

What the hell had I agreed to?

CCC

"So, where are we heading?" I asked as we were walking.

"I looked up this great club online. It's called JAXX," Kat said, obviously proud of herself.

Maureen nodded, "Yeah, it's really great. They play the best music."

_Huh, sounds alright_, I thought, _maybe this really will help._

We arrived at the club and headed inside. The music they were playing was turned up so loud I felt like my ears were going to burst. There were bright lights flashing everywhere and the place was extremely crowded, smelling grossly of perspiration.

"Oh well," I shrugged, "If I'm going to be here I might as well get into it."

All four of us went to the dance floor and started dancing insanely to the hip-hop music they were playing. It was actually really fun, I was so glad I had come. After a while I got tired.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," I told Emily, "be right back."

I wasn't sure if she had nodded or was just dancing, but I left anyway. I headed towards the bathrooms. I rounded the corner and there were two teens up against a wall making out like crazy.

"Ew…" I made a face, but walked past, into the bathroom, "How could anybody be so public?"

DDD

I pushed Teagan off of me and looked at her.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Yeah, you're kissing me."

"But you said it'd be better if we were making out!"

"Oh, that's what you said?"

"Y-you weren't paying attention?!"

I shrugged, "Not really. You talk too much."

She pushed me against the wall again, but somehow this time I didn't think it was to kiss me.

"Derek, you are the rudest, most despicable guy I have ever met!" she yelled, then stormed off out of the hallway.

"Huh… despicable, eh?"

I smirked. Just then, the bathroom door next to me swung open.

"…Casey?"

* * *

**drama, drama, cliffhanger...! What's gonna happen next? Stay tuned to find out!**


	6. Waiting, Rain, and Worries

**Yo, chapter six here. Sorry it was kind of a slow update, but I had tons of tests in the last two weeks; practically no time to write. But, either way, it's here now, right? Also, thank you all so much for all of your reviews! It's great! -laughs- I'm not used to getting so many... Anyway, here's chapter six! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Life with Derek.**

* * *

Summer Heat  
Chapter 6: Waiting, Rain, and Worries

CCC

"Derek? What are you doing here?" I asked, confused.

"The guys and I came here for guy's night out. What are _you_ doing here?"

"After you guys left, we decided we would go out for girl's night out. Huh, who would've thunk we'd go to the same… place…"

Then it began to click. Derek's the only other one in this hallway… he's up against the wall… and his lips look a little like they've got lipstick on them…

"_You_ were kissing that girl! What the hell were you thinking?! Kissing an absolute stranger in public like that! You're despicable! Absolutely disgusting!"

And with that, I stomped out, leaving him standing there completely dumb-founded. I practically ran to the dance floor, tears already starting to well up in my eyes. When I found Emily, I tapped her shoulder.

"I'm really tired, so I'm gonna leave now, Em. You guys stay and have fun."

"Case? Is something wrong?" she yelled back.

"No, I'm fine. Just tired. See you later!"

I dashed towards the exit as fast as possible. I could feel the hot tears running down my cheeks and I cursed myself for yelling at him. Why should I be mad at him for kissing a girl? It's not like it's my business who he kissed and where he kissed them. God, I was such an idiot!

I stopped next to a bench and sat down, wiping my eyes. This was stupid. Why should I be crying over Derek? I shouldn't be crying over him! I should be out having fun, just like _he_ apparently was. Now I was starting to get myself angry. I _should_ be out having fun and I'm not going to let Derek's stupid choices ruin that for me. I liked him, but it was plain to see he didn't like me back. I didn't want to sit there waiting for someone who would never come around.

I stood and started walking down the street, back towards the club. I stomped in and walked right out onto the dance floor, searching through the place for Emily. I couldn't find her anywhere in the crowd, so finally I just gave up and started to dance. Before I knew it I was totally into it and didn't even notice there were about three very attractive guys dancing right near me. One moved closer and started dancing next to me.

"Hey," he said after a while, "I'm Ian."

"Casey," I replied, smirking.

"You want to go get a drink?"

"Yeah."

We made our way off of the dance floor and to the bar where we ordered drinks. This was the first time I really got a good look at him. He had short, dark hair and bright, green eyes set in a deep olive face. He was actually really really good looking. We started talking and I found out that we had quite a bit in common. We liked the same kinds of music and read the same kinds of books. After a while of talking there we went back to dancing. He was dancing very close to me and I smirked, putting my arms around his neck.

_This_ was gonna be fun.

DDD

After Casey stormed out I stood for a moment thinking. Why would she have yelled at me? Was she really just disgusted that I was kissing a stranger in public or… was it something else? Could she…?

This was too confusing. I walked out of the bathroom area and ran right into Sam.

"Sam, I'm getting pretty tired. Let's go back now."

"Yeah," he agreed, "me too. Now we gotta find Micah and Chase…"

"Oh yeah. All the girls came here, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I, uh… ran into Casey as she was leaving."

"Oh. I guess we should find them, too, then, huh?"

The two of us searched the place until we found everyone and then we all left together. When we got back to the condo we couldn't find Casey anywhere. She wasn't on the couch or the kitchen or in anyone's room.

"She did leave, didn't she?" Micah asked.

"Yeah, she told me she was going," Emily said.

"Derek, something wrong?" Sam asked, noting that I was breathing slightly heavily.

Yes, something was fucking wrong! Casey sees me kissing that girl, then she gets really angry and yells at me, then suddenly announces she's leaving, and then she's not at home! Oh god, it's because of me, isn't it?

I ran to the door and threw it open. Raindrops were coming down hard; it was pouring.

"Screw it."

I burst through the door and ran to the beach, calling her name and trying to see anything through the thick rain now flooding my eyes. She wasn't responding and I couldn't see anyone anywhere.

"Derek, what the hell are you doing?!" I heard Sam call from the edge of the beach.

"Looking for Casey!"

"I'm sure she just stopped somewhere and is late coming home. Or maybe she's waiting for the rain to let up. It's not a big deal, Derek. We'll just wait in the condo."

I couldn't do that. It was raining hard, Casey could be lost or hurt or… I couldn't think about it. I had to find her. I ran right past Sam, off of the beach.

"Wait! Where are you going?" he yelled when I veered off from the direction of the condo.

I didn't answer. I ran as fast as I could back towards the club, looking everywhere I could on my way. When I got into the club, I burst in.

_Shit, how am I gonna search this whole place?_

CCC

"Hey, Ian," I said when I was tired of dancing, "I have to go."

"Already?" he asked, disappointed.

"Yeah, sorry."

The two of us struggled off of the dance floor and made our way to the door. As we neared, a figure burst through the door, dripping wet. I stared at him.

"Derek, is that you?"

"Casey? Finally!" he sounded relieved.

"What is it? Why are you all wet?" I asked, worried.

Then I remembered Ian.

"Oh, Ian," I turned to him, "this is my step-brother Derek."

"Hey," he said nonchalantly.

Derek looked at him, almost glaring, "We gotta go."

He grabbed my arm and dragged me out before I even got a chance to say goodbye to the guy. It was pouring out and I was drenched practically the moment I stepped out.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Derek? I was having fun with him!" I yelled, struggling to get his hand off of me, "What are you even doing here?"

"Searching for you, actually," he said bitterly.

"Huh? Why?"

"The rest of us left without you because you said you were going to leave earlier and then when we got home, you weren't there," he explained, "We were worried sick."

"You guys came looking for me?" I asked meekly.

"Well, no, I did," he said.

Derek looked for me by himself? Willingly?

Then he suddenly added, "They told me to. Everyone else stayed in case you came back."

Oh, that makes sense. Of course he wouldn't come looking for me. He probably wouldn't have even cared if I had been hurt or something.

"Um, yeah," I said, kind of disappointed, "thanks for coming to look for me."

"Can we just go back to the condo?" he asked, still angry.

I nodded. We walked back, surrounded by an awkward silence the whole way. When we finally reached home, I felt like we had been walking forever. Derek pushed open the door and we trekked inside, our shoes squelching from the amount of water in them. Sam and Emily ran up to us.

"Casey!" Emily exclaimed, "You found her!"

"Yeah," Derek replied unenthusiastically.

"I'm really sorry I worried you," I said, "I just suddenly felt better so I went back."

"It's fine. We figured it was something like that. Derek was the one who was really worried. He ran out of here like there was a fire or something," Emily said.

Sam smiled and added, "He wouldn't come back, even when I told him you were probably fine."

I looked back at Derek, who looked away.

_He _had_ come looking for me willingly… Was it possible he really did feel the same way? If it was just a brotherly thing, why would he lie about it?_

I was going to ask him why, but he had already turned and stalked off into the kitchen. I turned back to Emily.

"Everyone else already went to bed," she said.

"I think I will, too. I'm beat," I replied, "Night."

I walked to the living room and got my pajamas, then went to the bathroom to dry off and change. I came back out and hesitantly walked into the kitchen where Derek was sitting, eating something and reading a magazine.

"Derek?"

He looked up.

"Uh, the bathroom's free."

He sighed, "Yes, I lied 'cause I didn't want you to know I came by choice."

I sat down across from him, "Why did you come, though?"

"You had just gotten really mad at me and I thought it might have been my fault that you weren't there. I…" he trailed off.

"You what?" I prompted.

"…I thought something bad might've happened to you."

I paused for a minute, comprehending the un-Derek-like statement.

Then I smiled. "You were worried about me," I teased.

He glared at me, "I was not."

"You were, too," I said, my smile growing.

He grunted and stood, walking towards the doorway. When he reached it, he hesitated.

"…I'm glad you're ok," he said quietly, then walked to the living room.

The lights clicked out and I heard him get under his sheets. I sighed, looking up at the kitchen ceiling.

"You don't know just how much that means to me, Derek."

* * *

**So yeah, that was it. Hope you liked it. Please review:3**


	7. Headaches, Tears, and Collisions

**Hello one and all! Back again for chapter seven! Thanks again for all your reviews! It's been great reading them and they really give me so much motivation for writing the next chapter faster. So, anyway, not much to say here this time except, well, hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Che. 'Course I don't own it.**

* * *

Summer Heat  
Chapter 7: Headaches, Tears, and Collisions

DDD

I woke up the next morning and my head was throbbing. Running around in the rain had obvious taken more of a toll on me than I'd thought. I tried to sit up, but immediately flopped back down onto my pillow as a burst of pain flew to my temples. I groaned and brought my hand to my head.

"Derek, was that you?" Casey asked from up on the couch.

I grunted. Her head peeked over the side of the couch and she looked down at my pathetic form, curled up in a ball on the floor.

"What happened to you?"

"You," I groaned, turning over.

She stayed silent, obviously waiting for more of an explanation.

"I have a friggin' headache the size of Mt. Everest thanks to my searching for you last night," I said, then regretted it. The events of the past few days came flooding back and an uncomfortable air filled the room.

"Oh," she said awkwardly, turning back onto the couch, "Um, sorry."

I didn't reply. I closed my eyes and tried in vain to go back to sleep.

CCC

Once I heard Derek's deep, even breaths indicating he'd fallen asleep again, I quietly crawled off of the couch and tiptoed into the kitchen. Sam was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal.

"Morning, Sam," I greeted him.

He looked up, "Morning, Case."

I walked to the fridge and opened it, searching for something to eat. When I found nothing, I decided I would go out and buy something to bring back for breakfast. I started to walk back to the living room but as I passed Emily's room, the door opened and Maureen came out.

"Oh, Casey! Thank god!"

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's Emily. I've been hearing something like crying all morning and I think it was her. I don't know what's wrong."

I sighed, "So you want me to talk to her, right?"

"Case, you're a dear!" she said, squeezing my arm, "Good luck!"

She walked past me. I pushed open the door and walked over to Emily's bed, then put my hand gently on her shoulder. She flinched a little, then looked up at me.

"Oh, Casey… It's you."

She brought her hand up and wiped the tears from her eyes, which were red from crying. Then she sat up and made room for me to sit on the bed as well.

"What's wrong, Em? What happened?"

"Casey," she started, her voice hoarse, "Case… m-my period's late."

My brain took a moment to comprehend what she was saying. When it finally clicked, my eyes widened and I looked at her in disbelief.

"Emily, you… you didn't! Tell me you didn't!"

She looked down, tears building up, threatening to fall. That was all the answer I needed. At first my mind was buzzing with different emotions, then… my eyes widened once again.

"Who?"

She looked up. "What?"

"Who?" I repeated.

She closed her eyes tightly, trying to hold back the tears, but they burst past and flowed down her cheeks.

Finally, almost inaudibly, she mumbled the name, "Sam..."

Anger rushed through me, first at Emily, then at Sam. Then my mind turned back to the first statement she had made, and my anger morphed into worry.

"Oh my god," I breathed, "You're… well, you might be…"

"I know," she said, "Casey, what am I going to do? I can't have a baby! What will my parents say? What will the kids at school say? I'll be the biggest slut ever!"

"Ok, Em, calm down," I said, the organized, rational Casey taking over, "You might not be pregnant at all. We don't know yet, so let's not get carried away."

She nodded, sniffing, "You're right. I don't even know yet."

She wiped her eyes again, then looked at me, "Casey, could you…"

"Of course," I said, taking her in my arms, "I'll get it. You just sit and relax, okay? I'll be back in a little bit."

She smiled at me.

"I'm so lucky to have you as a friend."

I smiled back, then turned to leave the room.

DDD

I woke up again a little bit later and found that my headache had subsided a bit. I sat up and noticed Casey digging through her suitcase for clothes.

"Going somewhere?" I asked.

She turned to me, surprised. After a pause, she replied, "Just to go get breakfast."

"Perfect." I said, "I'm starved."

"Are you saying you want to come with me?"

"Yeah, like I said, I'm starved."

"No, you can't!" she practically yelled, then caught herself, "Um, I mean, I'd rather go alone."

"Aint' that too bad," I said, getting up and grabbing some clothes.

That first reaction made it pretty obvious she didn't want me to come and I intended to find out why that was.

"But Der-rek!" I heard her call out, but I ignored her and made my way to the bathroom.

CCC

Great. Just great. Derek's coming with me. How am I supposed to get a pregnancy test now? I can't tell him Emily might be pregnant! I could never do that to her. But how can I get it while I'm with him? Maybe I can find a way to ditch him. That's it! I'll find a way to ditch him!

"So, where are we going?" he asked once we were out of the condo.

"I thought we'd just go and find a place once we got there," I answered.

We walked on in silence until we reached where most of the restaurants were. When we passed a really delicious looking café, I swear my mouth almost watered. He pointed to it.

"How about there, that place looks good," he said.

Forcing myself to resist I declined. I had to find a way to ditch him quick so I could get back to Emily.

Just then I noticed two very tall, good looking girls walking towards us, their eyes definitely on Derek. I glanced over at Derek and could tell he was eyeing them up as well. The two girls stopped in front of us.

"Excuse me," the taller, brunette one said with an obnoxious eyelash flitter, "but we don't live here and we need to find this place."

She moved over, much closer than needed, to show him an address on a slip of paper.

I grinned. My perfect chance.

"'Kay Derek. I'm really hungry, so I'm gonna go get food while you help these girls," I turned and started to walk away.

Suddenly, his hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I looked up at Derek in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" he said to me, then turned back to them, "Sorry, girls, I don't live here either. Just on vacation. Besides, I'm going to get breakfast with my _girlfriend_."

When he said the word, my heart skipped a beat. I felt myself flush and I looked down, boring a hole in the ground with my eyes.

The girls gave Derek a few seconds to change his mind, then made a disappointed pout and with a quick glare at me, walked away.

"Sorry," Derek said once they had left, "mentioning a girlfriend just usually puts them off faster. And I'm starving. Let's get going."

I took off after him, not paying any attention to where we were going. Damn it. Damn it all. Why? Why did it skip a beat? Stupid Heart!

"-ere?"

I looked up.

"What?"

"Are you okay, Case? You seem really spaced out."

"Um, yeah," I said, stopping my mouth from spilling everything I had just been thinking, "I'm fine. What was that?"

He gave me a funny look but pointed to another café, not as nice as the first one, but still pretty nice.

"How about here?"

"Yeah, sure, seems good," I mumbled. We walked towards it and suddenly I noticed the drug store a few buildings down and remembered my original quest. "Oh my god, is it Saturday?" I asked worriedly, looking at my watch.

"Uh, yeah," he replied.

"I made myself a tour at this one museum for 9 this morning! I'm gonna be late!"

"Oh," he said, sounding disappointed, "then I guess you better run."

"Yeah, um, I'll see you back at the condo later!"

I waved, then turned and ran down the street. When I rounded a corner, I slowed and stopped. Then I breathed a quick sigh of relief.

"Finally…" I said, grinning despite myself, "How's _that_ for quick thinking? Now, I just have to find a different drug store."

I made my way through the streets and finally spotted a drug store. I went inside and, as quickly as I could, picked a few different tests off of the shelves and hurried to the check out counter.

"Hi, will that be all?" the cashier said, eyeing what I had put on the counter.

"Um, yes."

He rung them up and put them in a bag, then gave me my change.

"Good luck," he said, chuckling, as I turned to leave.

I practically ran out, bright red with embarrassment. Then I started back towards the condo, my face towards the ground. Suddenly, I ran straight into someone and ended up falling right on top of them.

"Oh my god," I said, pushing myself up, "I'm so sorry."

"I'm not."

I looked up at the sound of the voice and was faced with that infuriating little smirk.

"Oh. It's you."

I stood up and Derek followed, picking something off of the ground as he did.

"You dropped this," he said, holding it out to me.

I quickly reached out to take it, but before I could he realized what it was and snatched it back, staring at it with wide eyes.

"A PREGNANCY TEST?!"

* * *

**Eh, yep. So, lots of drama in this chapter, eh? And more to come! -nods- Hope you all enjoyed and if you did, review:3**


	8. Assumptions, Depression, and Beers

**Hey people! Back again for chapter eight! Sorry about that awful cliffy last time, but.. you gotta do what you gotta do, right? Anyway, it'll be continuing now, so all is good! hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, don't own anything.**

* * *

Summer Heat  
Chapter 8: Assumptions, Depression, and Those Damn Beers

CCC

"A PREGNANCY TEST?!"

"Shh, shh!" I shushed, "Not so loud, Derek!"

"What the hell are you doing buying this, Casey?" he asked fiercely, of course drawing all kinds of conclusions.

"It's not-" I stopped myself from telling him about Emily and frantically searched for something else to say, finally coming up with, "It's none of your business!"

"None of my business?! _None of my business?!_ It might be nice to clue me in on the fact that you're pregnant!

"Why should I have to tell you anything?" I screamed back at him.

"I'm your brother for god's sake, Casey!"

"Step-brother. And does it even matter? God, you're so- so infuriating!"

I pushed past him and stormed off in the direction of the condo. Fortunately, he didn't follow. When I finally got back I crept into the house and hurried straight to Emily's room. She was sitting on her bed and when I came in, she jumped up, a grin on her face.

"I got it!" she squealed in quiet excitement.

"What?"

"My period- I got it while you were out!" she ran over and threw her arms around me, "Isn't it great!"

I didn't know what to say. I mean, sure I was happy for her, but my mind was already filled with dread about the situation with Derek. And now I find out that my whole trip was for nothing?

"Um, yeah!" I feigned enthusiasm, "That's so great! Now you don't have to worry about it anymore!"

"I know! I feel like the world's been lifted off my shoulders," she breathed in deeply and let it out again in a huge sigh, "Well, I'm gonna go get something to eat. You want to come?"

"No thanks, I'm not very hungry."

"'kay, well, see you later then. And really, thank you so much for what you did for me. Even though it turned out not to be needed, you were so sweet and I'm really grateful."

I smiled, "What are friends for, right?"

She smiled back, "Right."

Once she had left the room, I flopped down onto her bed and buried my face in the pillow. Right now I needed more comfort than the sofa I slept on. However, even the warm bed didn't seem to be doing anything for the pain I was feeling. Derek thought I was pregnant. And even if I told him I wasn't that wouldn't take away the fact that he still thought I could have been. Which means he would still think I… lost my virginity. And what could I do to stop that? The only thing I could do would be to tell him it was for Emily, but I can't do that to her. Especially considering how much she likes him. Or at least, used to. Either way, I'll have someone mad at me, whether it be Derek or Emily.

So basically, I'm screwed.

DDD

After Casey stormed off, I just stood there for a while trying to process what had happened. Casey was pregnant. Or at least, could be pregnant. Which means she had to have had sex with someone. She's so young, why would she do that to herself? I mean, though I hate to admit it, even_ I'm_ still a virgin.

And most of all, why the hell did I suddenly feel so depressed?

"Man, this totally sucks. It's my _vacation_ for god's sake…"

I started walking towards a convenience store to buy a drink, when a couple buildings down I spotted a liquor store.

After a pause, I shrugged, "What the hell."

DDD

When I finally got home, it was already evening. I knocked on the door, as I didn't have a key, and Sam answered.

"Hey, man. Who's home?" I asked.

"Just me. Everyone else went out for dinner."

"Great," I said, holding up the bag I'd been carrying, "Man are we gonna have a good time tonight."

Sam took the bag and looked into it, then shoved it back into my arms, shaking his head.

"No way, man. That killer hangover last time was enough to make me _never _drink another beer."

"Sam, come on, you're no fun," I pushed my way inside, "Just a few."

"No way. And if you're gonna be drinking, don't do it here. Though I suggest you don't at all."

"You're such a goody-two-shoes," I scowled, "Fine. I'll drink alone. See if I care."

He raised his eyebrows, then pushed me out the door, shutting it hard behind me. Yeah, whatever. His loss.

CCC

Most of the group, except for Sam and Derek, had gone out for dinner. When we got back, Sam was still by himself.

"Where's Derek?" I asked, plopping down next to him on the couch.

He shrugged, "I dunno."

"You mean he still hasn't come back?"

"Well, he came back a little bit earlier with beer. Wanted me to drink with him, but I told him hell no."

"And he just left?"

"Yeah, said he'd be fine drinking alone."

I stood up suddenly.

"What an idiot! He's going to hurt himself!" I growled, then started towards the door.

"Careful," Sam said, a smile in his voice, "You know what Derek does when he gets drunk, don't you?"

I stopped and turned, "What?"

"You know, when Derek gets drunk. He kisses _everybody_."

I turned back around, not even letting it phase me, "Yeah, right. Like Derek would be so _un-cool_."

I slammed the door and started out onto the path, then turned to see if he had gone to the beach. When I stepped out into the open, I saw him. He was a few yards away, just sitting in the sand with a six pack next to him.

"Derek!" I called.

He didn't turn his head. I walked to where he sat and stood over him.

"What the hell are you doi-"

"Who was it?"

"…What?"

He stood and turned to me, staring into my eyes.

"Who did you do it with?"

I was taken aback.

"I told you Derek, it's none of your business."

"Who?" he repeated, taking a step towards me.

I took a step back, "Y-you're drunk Derek, you don't really care."

"Damn it, Casey! Don't you know what you're doing to me?"

"Derek… w-what are you talking about…?"

He kept walking towards me and I kept stepped back.

"Don't you know why I get so mad?"

He reached his arms out and grabbed me. I tripped and fell backwards, accidentally pulling him on top of me. When I opened my eyes again, his face was just inches from mine. I could feel his breath on my bare skin and a shiver went up my spine.

"D-derek…"

"_You know, when Derek gets drunk…"_

His face inched towards mine and I felt my body go rigid.

"_He kisses everybody."_

His lips pressed gently against mine. I didn't know what to do. My first instinct told me to pull away and get him off of me, but my lips and my body protested. However, I didn't get a chance to choose as a second later, Derek pulled away himself and stood up, then practically ran off of the beach.

I finally sat up and looked towards the condo, then towards those damn beers. Then, something strange caught my attention. I got up and made my way over to where the six-pack lay. As I neared, my eyes grew wide. Each can was still in its place. And they were all unopened.

I lifted my fingers to my lips and gently touched where I could still feel the warmth of Derek's lips on mine.

"Does that mean… he wasn't drunk?"

* * *

**It was kinda short, but there was dasey, so be happy. ...be healthy. heh heh. cheerios.**

**Eh, right. Don't mind me. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it and review please!!**


	9. Lunches, Violations, and Overhearing

**Wah! I know, I haven't updated in forever! But fanfiction wasn't working and then once it started working again, my internet went down and it's been down for a whole week! (stupid, stupid intel wireless.. >:o ) But I got ahold of a laptop, so I can finally update! Yay! So, um, anyway, sorry for not updating. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

Disclaimer: Yeah, don't own.

Enjoy!

Summer Heat

Chapter 9: Lunches, Violations, and Overhearing

DDD

What was I thinking? What the _hell_ was I thinking? I _kissed_ Casey. How could I do that to her? How could I do that to _me_? I mean, I hadn't even sorted out my feelings yet or composed myself from the thought that she could be pregnant. But she came along in the middle of it and she just- whenever she talks I get this feeling where she's both infuriating and extremely attractive at the same time. And I never know what to do. I just- I just couldn't hold it in this time. But now I have no idea what to do. What do I say to her? What do I do around her? I guess the best thing to do now would be just to avoid being alone with her at all costs. But how long am I going to be able to do that?

CCC

I've been ignoring Derek all day, trying to sort out my feelings – and his – before I talk to him again. So far I'd been doing alright. Last night he was asleep when I got in and he had already gotten up when I woke this morning. Somehow I managed to avoid him all day as well. That night, after everyone was asleep, someone tiptoed into the living room and gently woke me.

"Hey, Casey," Sam whispered.

I blinked away the sleep and sat up to make room for him on the couch. He sat down.

"Hey, Sam, what's up?"

"Casey. I have something to talk to you about."

He gently took my hand in his. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, but didn't move it.

"I-I miss you, Casey."

"What?"

"I miss you. Why did we break up, anyway? I… I want you back."

"Sam, you're Emily's _boyfriend_!" I said disgustedly. What was he thinking?

"Not anymore. She broke up with me yesterday. Besides, you're the one that really matters…"

He leaned in and pressed his lips sloppily to mine. He tasted like alcohol. I pushed him off of me.

"Sam, have you been drinking?"

"I only had three beers, Case, it's nothing. Come on, just let me kiss you," he leaned in again.

"Sam, Emily is my _best _friend! Besides, we broke up a long time ago."

"Casey, come on. It's always been you. Emily didn't mean anything to me…"

"Oh, is that why you _did_ her?" I didn't mean for it to come out, but once it did I couldn't stop. I was really angry. How could he say that about Emily?

"What? How did you find out about that?" he asked, seeming a little more alert.

"Emily told me. You know, when she was freaking out about being _pregnant_."

"What?" Sam's eyes were wide, "She's pregnant?"

"Well, no, but she thought she was. And_ you_ were no help."

"I… I didn't know…"

"Well, now you do. Maybe next time you could be a little more considerate. Or, better yet, not let there _be_ a next time."

"Emily…" he said, his voice soft, "I'm so sorry…"

"Tell her that, not me."

He stood from the couch and slumped away towards his room. Just then I heard movement from the floor next to me and turned my head quickly, but Derek was still fast asleep.

_Thank god…I would_ not_ want him finding out about that._

DDD

I feel awful. I feel like such an idiot and a jerk. Casey was never pregnant; she was never even close to being pregnant. It was Emily. Casey was just being a great friend and helping her. How could I have said the things I said to her? She must have felt terrible, and it's all my fault.

Wait, what am I saying? Have I really turned so soft? I mean, the old me wouldn't care at all. In fact, I'd probably be happy that Casey felt terrible. But… maybe that's really what it is: the _old_ me. I… I guess I really have changed… Either way, though, I still feel awful. I want to apologize really badly, but how can I? 'Hey, Case, sorry about getting jealous about you and the guy you supposedly had sex with and then letting my feelings get the better of me and kissing you.' I mean, what the hell kind of apology is th-

Wait, did I just say 'jealous'? Why would I be jealous of Casey's partner? I mean, it's not like I _like_ her… is it…? We have gotten closer over the vacation and I admit there have been moments that have made it kind of seem that way, but really actually _liking_ Casey…? Could I really?

CCC (Day 7)

The next day I somehow, once again, avoided Derek all morning. That afternoon, I was sitting on the couch reading when Emily came over.

"Hey," she said, sitting next to me, "What's up?"

"Nothing really," I said, putting a bookmark in my book and setting it aside, "What's up with you?"

"Well…" she bit her lip nervously, "…I kind of broke up with Sam."

"Really?" I pretended to be surprised, "But why? You guys seemed happy."

"Well, it was just that I realized after the whole," she quieted, "thinking I was pregnant thing, I realized that I didn't really trust him or like him as much as I thought I did. I figured why stay with a guy that you're not going to be able to trust, right?"

"Well, that makes sense, I guess. I just thought you guys really liked each other…"

"I didn't expect it when you and Sam broke up either," she said, "I though you guys were, like, the perfect couple."

I smiled, though it didn't reach my eyes. I just kept thinking back to last night when Sam had really disgusted me. I felt violated somehow, even though he only kissed me.

"Hey," Emily said, "You hungry?"

"Eh, not really," I started, then stopped as I heard my stomach growling.

My face flushed and I covered my belly with my arms.

Emily laughed, "Come on, let's go out for lunch."

CCC

It was a wonderful day. The sun was bright and it was warm, but not too hot. Emily and I found this perfect little café in town to eat lunch in. We went in and picked a table by the window. When the waiter came around, we both ordered and then got to talking. After a while, we came to the topic of photos and Emily suddenly remembered that she had brought her camera to a Walmart to get developed and she was supposed to have picked it up an hour ago. I told her she could go over and she rushed out. One she left, I sat in silence for a while, thinking.

"Casey? Is that you?"

I looked up. It was Ian, from the club. He was wearing rectangular black glasses this time, so I didn't recognize him at first, but when I did, I let a small smile grace my lips.

"Ian," I said, "hey. You wanna sit?"

He took up the offer and sat himself in Emily's seat.

"Are you sure that that Derek kid would be okay with this?" he asked, smiling.

"Derek?" I asked, confused, "Why would he care?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Isn't it obvious?"

I stared at him blankly, still not getting it, "Isn't what obvious?"

"That he likes you."

I scoffed, "Derek? Yeah, right. He hates me. Besides, I'm his step-sister."

Ian leaned back in his chair, his eyebrow still raised, "Whatever."

"What do you mean 'Whatever'?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"No, really," I persisted, starting to get annoyed, "What do you mean?"

He looked at me for a minute, then after a pause, he leaned forward in his chair.

"Look," he started, "I don't know your whole situation or anything like that. All I know is when Derek burst in there that night and looked at me with you, there was definite jealousy in those eyes."

My eyes widened and I just stared at him, not knowing what to say. He stared back at me, right into my eyes.

Then a voice interrupted us, "Hey, Casey. Uh, who's this?"

After a last meaningful second of staring, he turned his head to Emily, but I still couldn't work up the nerve to turn mine.

"Hi, I'm Ian. I met Casey at a club the other night," Ian said, though it sounded far off.

"I'm Emily, Casey's friend," Emily responded.

"Right, I'll go now," Ian said, standing up, "Don't want to spoil your lunch," he glanced at me, but I was still staring at the table lamely, "See you."

Emily sat back down and began to talk, but the rest of lunch I was tuned out. Inside my head my thoughts were racing trying to think back to that night and remember Derek's eyes. I was trying to process what I just heard and I kept asking myself if it could really be true. Could Derek really truly like me back?

**Hope you enjoyed it! Please review!! I don't know when I'll next be able to update, but I'll try to make it as soon as possible:3 **


	10. schoolgirls, sprained ankles & questions

**Sorry it's been so long since my last update. My internet's been back for a while, but I was too lazy to actually take the time to post... oy, and now that I am updating, it's really short... I'm sorry! But, well, I'll update again soon and I promise it'll be longer next time! Hope you enjoy this installment despite it's lack of content... (T.T)**

**Disclaimer: Nope, nope. Don't own it.**

**Oh hey, just noticed! It's... double digits! Yay! Blow out the candles, Mr. ficcy! You're 10! eh... sorry. um.. enjoy!**

* * *

Summer Heat  
Chapter 10: Schoolgirls, Sprained Ankles, and Questions

CCC

That night I lay on the couch thinking when Derek came in. He walked past the couch, not even looking in my direction, then laid on the floor and pulled the blanket up to his chin.

After a while I realized that my thoughts were completely on him and I couldn't get him out of my head.

_Ah!_ I though, hitting my head with my palm, _I feel like a stupid little schoolgirl! I have to know for sure…_

"…Derek?"

Pause. Scuffle. Sigh.

"What?"

"…uh… do y… do you… um… nevermind…"

_I can't! I can't do it! How stupid will I sound if he doesn't? But I… I really wanna know…_

I opened my mouth to speak again, but thought better of it and just turned over to go to sleep.

DDD

The next morning I got up early, which is completely unlike me, but I had to do it to avoid Casey. She almost asked me something last night. I mean, I suppose a question starting with 'do you' could be just about anything in the world, but… considering the events of the past few days there's one that glows a little brighter than the rest…

Either way, though, she just has to be avoided. I can't let her ask me anything, no matter what it may be.

Anyway, I woke up Sam and the two of us went out for a morning run. It was pretty enjoyable, actually. Well, up until the point where I tripped over some old lady's dog. I twisted my ankle pretty badly, but of course that's not what the lady was thinking of. She bolted (a lot quicker than you'd expect) towards the dog and grabbed him, then started shouting at us about how 'he could've been killed' and 'you should watch where you're going'. Once she had finally left, Sam helped me up and we limped back to the condo. Luckily Casey had already gotten up, so I laid on the couch.

"I'll get some ice," Sam said, then got up to leave.

When he came back, I put the ice on my ankle, then told him I was beat and just closed my eyes and tried to get some rest.

CCC

Later that evening, I was reading in the kitchen when Sam came in.

"Hey Case, we're going to go get dinner, you wanna come?"

"No thanks," I said, "Not in the mood."

Sam nodded, "I understand. See you when you get back."

He started to leave, then seemed to remember something and turned at the door.

"Oh yeah, Derek's ankle is hurt so he's not coming. Could you take care of him for me? Thanks!" and with that, he turned and left.

"Wait Sam!" I called after him, "I can't take care of… him…"

But he was already gone.

"Damn," I cursed, "Why'd I get stuck with this?"

I tried to stay in the kitchen so I wouldn't have to see him and therefore not have to help or interact with him. After a little while, though, I started to get really bored with what I was reading.

I got up and walked to the door, looking down the hallway. I made a face at it.

"Why do you have to do this to me?"

It was then that I realized this could be my perfect chance to ask him. Nobody else is here and he's incapacitated, so he's a little bit less threatening. I gathered up all of my courage, then started to walk to the living room.

"Hey," I said as I moved to my suit case and dropped my book in, "How're you feeling?"

"Fine," he said tiredly, starting to sit up.

"I have a question to ask."

"Um, not right now. I'm not feeling well," he said, sort of quickly.

"It's, uh, kind of important," I said, moving my eyes to his face, which was down toward the couch, "Derek… do you… do you like me…?"

He paused for a second in his scuffling on the couch.

"What?"

"Do you l…"

"I heard what you said. It's just ridiculous. Why the hell would I like you?"

I dropped my head, staring at the carpeted floor, surprised by the ruthlessness and intensity of his response.

"So you… don't…?

Before I knew what was happening, he had gotten up and walked towards me. I looked up at him. He placed one hand on the small of my back and drew me towards him, then leaned down past my face until his lips were just by my ear. I felt his heavy breath on my neck and goose bumps rose up on my arms.

"Derek… y-your ankle…"

"Case…" he said, his voice loud and deep in my ear.

I closed my eyes and tried not to let it affect me, but then I felt his lips, warm and moist, as they touched my jaw and lingered there for a moment before returning to my ear.

After a moment, he continued, "…Stop fooling yourself."

Then he turned and walked off into the kitchen.

I practically collapsed onto the floor, sitting with my head down as tears started to form in my eyes.

_What the hell?_

DDD

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Why the hell did I just do that to Casey? When she looked down and asked me again if I liked her she just looked so cute. I couldn't help it. Before I knew it I was up and kissing her freaking neck! I didn't know what to do, but I certainly couldn't tell her I liked her right then, right after I said I didn't. Did I really have to say it so harshly, though? I wish I hadn't but I didn't know what to say; I had to think quickly. Damn it, though. Now I'm gonna have to avoid her even more.

* * *

**Again, sorry it was short... and I know I keep just going back and forth with Derek and Casey, but please stick with me! I promise it'll get somewhere very soon! And next chapter will be super long, I swear: 3**


	11. Anger, Talks, and Home

**Hiya guys! It was a quick update this time, huh? It's pretty long, too! Yep yep! Some of you I'm sure have been getting annoyed with the indecisiveness with Derek and Casey... I kept telling you to stick with me and hopefully you did cause I've got a feeling it's gonna pay off real soon... : P**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it, nope, nope!**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy chapter 11! Yaay!**

* * *

Summer Heat  
Chapter 11: Anger, Talks, and Home

CCC

The next morning I woke up angry. I had hardly slept the night before because I was thinking about the situation. With that thinking I realized I couldn't let Derek get away with it this time. I couldn't just avoid him and let him avoid me. I couldn't go on living in such confusion and instability. Well, I suppose it shouldn't really be confusing anymore. Derek made it quite clear the night before that he didn't like me. But somehow, in the way he did it, I saw more that just trickery; just trying to make me uncomfortable.

Anyway, what I decided was that I had to confront him about it. And I had to do it soon.

DDD

"Dereeeek, Dereeeek!"

I woke to the sight of Micah standing over me, calling my name.

"What the hell do you want?" I growled, staring daggers at him as if it would make him disappear.

"We're going to breakfast. You coming?" he asked, way too cheerfully.

"Is Casey going?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so," he said.

"Then no."

I turned over and closed my eyes again, leaving him to go about his disgustingly happy morning-person business.

CCC

I thought maybe I'd go out to eat with everyone this morning as I hadn't been going out much lately. When we got to the restaurant, we got a table and ordered, then started talking.

"Too bad Derek didn't come. We only have two days left; we should really have a meal with everyone together before we leave," Maureen suggested.

"Yeah, I don't know why he didn't come," Sam said.

"Probably just cause he isn't a morning person," I mused.

"Well, actually, when I asked him, the first thing he did was ask if you were going," Micah commented.

I paused for a second, nervous that he knew what was going on, but when he didn't continue I calmed down.

"Did something happen between you two?" Emily asked.

"Uh," I said suddenly, thinking on my feet, "Um, he's just mad because… I… refused to give him the couch for the second week."

"Oh," Emily said, smiling, "That's so like him."

"Yeah."

"Now that we're on that topic though, you two seem to be getting pretty close on this trip, don't you?" Emily said.

"Yeah," Chase continued, "Like how Derek looked for you when you were missing."

"Oh and how you ran to look for Derek when he went out drinking," Sam added.

"Um," I started nervously, "Yeah, we kind of, um, talked about things and yeah, um, yeah."

I knew I sounded like an idiot and totally suspicious, but what was I supposed to say? 'Oh, yeah, I actually fell madly in love with the kid over the vacation.' Um, no, don't think so. Thankfully, though, the food came and everybody forgot the topic of Derek and me.

DDD

When I woke up for the second time, I got up and ate whatever breakfast I could find in the cabinets (stale cereal and an apple). Then I changed into my swimsuit and headed out to the beach so I wouldn't be there when everyone got back.

After a while of swimming, I came out and just lay on the beach. After I while, I guess I fell asleep, because the next thing I knew I was being woken up for the second time that day. This time, however, it wasn't by Micah's voice.

"Derek! Derek!"

I opened my eyes to Casey standing over me, her brown eyes glowing with anger.

"Get up! You and I have to talk. Big time."

_Damn it._

I sat up and she sat down across from me.

"What?" I asked her, looking into her eyes.

"You know very well 'what'," she said fiercely, "What the hell were you thinking doing what you did?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing the innocent card, though I knew it wouldn't work.

"Ugh, Derek! Stop with the stupid act! It's not funny and it's not cute!"

"Is it infuriating?"

"Yes!" she practically screamed.

"Good."

"Derek! You always have to turn everything into your own little joke! Just- just stop!"

She paused, looking down at the towel we were sitting on, then continued in a much calmer voice.

"Derek, you…"

I stood up suddenly and she stopped, looking up at me.

"I gotta go," I said, "See ya."

I turned and walked away. I couldn't do it. The only way I could hold back was to make jokes and act cruel and I didn't want to do that to Casey. My only other option was to not talk to her at all. Before I had left the beach, however, I felt her hand grab my arm.

"No," she said, "You can't walk away. You can't do this to me anymore."

She paused, waiting for me to say something. I pulled my arm out of her grip and, without even turning back to look at her, continued off of the beach.

CCC

He did it again. He just walked away. But I swear- next time I won't let him. I won't. I'll force him to tell me. And I think tonight might be the perfect chance. Other nights there was no problem since we were both avoiding each other, but tonight… tonight will be a different story.

CCC

When Derek came in, I was all ready for bed, sitting on the couch. He ignored me, just grabbing his own pajamas and leaving the living room to change. When he came back in, I couldn't help but admire his t-shirt-and-boxer-ed form. I soon snapped out of it, though, and just soon enough as he began to lift the blanket on the floor to get under it. I grabbed his hand and stopped him. He looked up at me with a 'what now?' look.

"I think you know what I want," I said.

He pulled his hand away from mine and continued getting under the blanket without saying a word. Once he was under it I just pulled it right off of him.

"Who's being immature now?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows, "Can I just go to sleep?"

"No," I ordered, "We need to talk."

"What's there to talk about? I thought we talked the other night. I said what I had to say."

"Yeah, but the way you did it didn't exactly agree with what you were saying, Derek."

He sighed, shaking his head.

"Casey, not now…"

"Then when, Derek?" I asked him, "If not now, it's gonna be never."

"That's what I was hoping…" he muttered, but stood up and sat next to me on the couch, "So, what is it?"

"Look, I… Well, things have been happening… weird things. And though I know you said you didn't like me, well…"

"Well what, Casey? I said I didn't like you, didn't I? Well, that's it."

"Derek!" I stood up and faced him, looming over him, "Can you stop it with this 'I don't care' attitude and just talk seriously for a second?"

He pushed himself off of the couch and stood to full height, now looming over me.

"I _am_ being serious, Casey! And I was being serious the other night!"

I looked down, then lifted my head up and stared into his eyes.

"With your answer or your actions?"

He paused, obviously not expecting the question.

"I…"

Before I knew what I was doing, I moved towards him and my lips met his. I lifted my arms and wrapped my hands around his neck, my fingers tense. After a moment, I felt his weight in the kiss and before long his hands met my waist.

"Derek…" I sighed, relaxing finally, leaning in against him.

"Mm…" he mumbled.

"Can I take this as a yes…?"

His arms wrapped tighter around my hips and I smiled against his lips as we both finally confessed.

CCC

I woke the next morning on the floor and for a moment wondered why I was there. Then I looked over to see Derek's sleeping form next to me. I smiled and leaned my head on his chest, taking comfort in his easy, rhythmic breathing. Then I heard something stir in the hallway and was frightened back to reality. I jumped up suddenly and looked down the hallway to see that nothing was there. Derek mumbled and opened his eyes, woken by my movement. He looked around and realized that the two of us had both been sleeping on the floor, then smiled.

"Regret it already?" he asked me, amused.

"Not a bit," I smiled back at him, "just… I didn't want anyone to see us like this."

He pushed himself up and sat, his arms supporting his laid back frame.

"Why not? You're not ashamed are you?" he mused.

I kneeled next to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. Then I leaned in and kissed his lips softly.

"How could I _not_ be ashamed of someone like you?"

He chuckled lightly at my attempt to get him back.

"Good one," he said, "But I'm afraid that's going to cost you!"

He grabbed my hips and pulled me on top of him, tickling my stomach until I was crying for mercy.

"Well," a voice interrupted us, "Looks like you two made up."

We both sat straight up and stared at Emily, who had just walked in.

"Um, no, not really," I said, feigning anger, "Derek here decided he was going to tickle me until I gave up the couch," I turned to him and sneered, "Which is, by the way, _not_ going to happen."

"Oh," Emily didn't look convinced, but didn't pry either, "Well, anyway, I was just up and heard something in here, so I came to check it out. What time is it, anyway?"

She turned and wandered out of the room, looking for a clock to check. I turned back to Derek and he grinned.

"Nice save," he whispered.

I smirked.

_Yeah, _now_ I come up with the good lines._

DDD

The next two days flew by in a buzz of good spirits. Hanging out with friends with no worries; occasionally getting an alone moment to smooch with Casey. Before we knew it, the two weeks were done and it was time to go back home.

We had one last trip to the beach, then packed up all of our luggage and stuffed it all in the car. When everyone else was inside doing a once-over to make sure we hadn't forgotten anything, I leaned against the car and looked out at the beautiful vacation spot.

"Well condo, beach," I said, "Thanks for a wonderful trip. Started out rough, but in the end it was all worth it, wasn't it?"

The waves of the ocean roared in the slight distance and I heard the door to the condo slam. I smiled, taking one last long breath of fresh beach air, then turned and got into the driver's seat of the car.

"Hurry up guys!" I yelled, "We'll hit rush hour traffic if we don't leave soon!"

CCC

As we rolled up to the house after dropping everyone off, reality finally settled in. We were back home. Away from the vacation atmosphere, things seemed a lot more serious; almost scary. I gripped Derek's hand from the passenger's seat and looked over at him, giving him a meaningful look before opening my door. We stepped out and headed towards the front door.

"Well," I said hesitantly, "Here goes nothing."

* * *

**Hope you liked it! I'm not sure if it was all that good, but oh well. I'm too lazy to change it anyway. : P review please - you know you wanna: 3**


	12. Sighs, Support, and Yelling

**Well. It's been about a thousand years since I've updated. I'm really, really, terribly sorry about that. But I finally got some inspiration and felt like I should finish this, so here's the final chapter. Sorry if it's a little rushed, but I sort of wanted it to seem like it went fast. And I know Derek's completely OOC, but what the hey, he's in love: )**

**Disclaimer: Fssh. You really think if I owned it Derek and Casey would still be just _stepsiblings_?**

**Yep, so anyways, without further adieu… the finale! Enjoy!**

* * *

Summer Heat  
Chapter 12: Sighs, Support, and Yelling

CCC

It was about a week after we had gotten home that I pulled my stepbrother harshly into my room and slammed the door behind us both. He leaned down to place a small kiss on my lips.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We need to talk."

He chuckled. "Well that's never a good start."

I couldn't help but smile as I pushed him to sit on my bed, then positioned myself beside him.

"Well, I've been thinking, and I feel like we should tell George and my mom."

He stayed expressionless and I assumed he was feeling as much doubt about it as I had felt when the thought first occurred to me.

"Well, we have to tell them eventually and I figure it's pointless to-"

"No." he said firmly, and for once the infuriating smirk had melted clean off of his face. "We don't."

I sighed, "Derek, come on."

"No. We don't have to tell them. Not now, not ever."

And with that, Derek was out of my room and I could already feel the tears beginning to well up in the corners of my eyes.

DDD

"What is it?" Sam asked me later that day as I sank slowly into the plush couch he had in his room.

"Huh?"

"That's the third time you've sighed since you got here," Sam clarified, "I know when something's wrong with my best friend."

"Oh, it's just… a girl."

"A girl? Might you care to specify _which_ girl and why?"

"No."

There was a pause where I'm guessing Sam was waiting for me to give a real answer. When I didn't continue, he sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Well, get over it, man. I wanna play Babe Raider without the constant interruption of your deep-ass sighs."

I laughed, then just smirked in his direction.

"First off, don't tell me what to do. Second," I paused, "I'll try."

CCC

I had been in Emily's house a grand total of about three seconds before she got me to talk. And okay, so I know Derek didn't want anyone to know. But I mean, she's my best friend. I knew she wouldn't tell a soul. And okay, so she's Emily. But that doesn't mean she can't keep a secret when it's extremely important. Like, my life depended on it.

Besides, I knew she'd be completely supportive. And she is.

Well, mostly…

"How could you do this to me?!" she was yelling. But I mean, you can't expect her to accept us immediately. "You've totally and completely betrayed me! You know how much I like Derek! I thought you guys freaking hated each other! Aren't you, like, mortal enemies or something? How can you get together! Not to mention the fact that he's your fucking brother!"

"Step." I clarified.

"Whatever. Like it even matters. What's important is that you went after a guy you totally knew I liked!"

"I thought you were over him," I told her calmly, "You _did_ go out with Sam."

"Yeah, well. Just because I like a guy doesn't mean you can expect me to be, like, a nun."

I sighed, "I thought you'd be the one who'd support us."

And then my head was in my hands and I sniffed and inconspicuously pinched my arm, willing tears to come.

"I thought that you could be the one person I could tell…" I made my voice falter.

"Oh Casey," it was her turn to sigh. "I guess I don't really mean all of that. If you guys really love each other, than who am I to stop you?"

I looked up, all signs of my 'crying' nonexistent. "So you really support us, then?"

She smiled. "I guess I do."

I embraced her, nearly squeezing her to death, I believe.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! You don't know how much this means to me." I cried.

And then I was out of there.

DDD

"DEREK!"

I didn't even flinch. It was like I had been anticipating the shriek before I even heard her utter it. Before I even heard her footsteps as she pounded up the stairs. Before I even heard the door slam, indicating her arrival home. As did I anticipate the click of my door as she opened it and walked into my room.

"What is it?" I asked.

We hadn't spoken since the day before, when she had suggested we tell our parents about our relationship.

She sat down next to me on my bed, but didn't look my way, and instead chose to focus her attention towards the carpet on my floor.

"I… I really think we should tell George and mom."

"Not this again," I growled, "Casey, please. We don't have to tell them."

"But Derek! I just know they're going to support us, even be happy for us! Emily is and I think they'll-"

"Emily is?"

"Huh?"

I turned to face her, my eyebrows furrowed angrily.

"You said 'Emily is'. What do you mean, Emily is?"

She stared even more intently at the ground as she spoke her next few words.

"Well… I kind of… told her."

"You WHAT?"

"I'm sorry, Derek, but you forced me to!"

"I forcedyou to? I didn't want to tell _anyone_!" I screamed furiously.

"That's just it! I _needed _to tell someone! And Emily was the only one I felt I could choose to tell on my own. But she's completely supportive, Derek. It's great! She's not going to tell anyone else and-"

"Get out."

I was nearly fuming and consumed by anger, which is the excuse I use now for why I ignored the hurt and sadness and regret I could clearly see in her expression as she pleaded for me to just hear her out.

"Get out." I repeated.

She did as she was told. As soon as she was gone, I lay down on my bed and raised my hand to try to soothe the growing pain in my temples.

CCC

It was nearly a week before Derek and I spoke again. You'd think that would be hard considering we live in the same house, go to the same school, have a lot of the same friends. But it was surprisingly easy to go without seeing each other for six and a half days.

The Saturday after the incident in his room, however, I was in my room finishing up a report for English class when there came a soft knocking on my door. Thinking it must be Lizzie, I called out for her to come in, before remembering that she had soccer practice that afternoon. I looked over to see Derek standing in my doorway, smiling apologetically, if that's at all possible for his face.

"Oh… hi, Derek."

"Casey…" he came over and put his arms around my neck, hugging me tightly.

Despite our earlier conflict, I couldn't help but to melt into his embrace. Nor could I help feeling disappointment when he began to pull away. And of course I couldn't help pulling him in for a kiss, as he just looked so adorable in his unusually meek state.

"Case. I'm so sorry," he said when I finally let him go, "I didn't have to get so angry with you. I was being way too controlling and I know it."

I was amazed; stunned, almost to the point of being speech-less. Almost.

"It's okay, Derek. I know it's pretty frightening, telling people about us… Especially our parents, but…"

I felt tears come to my eyes and, as hard as I tried to stop them, they flowed freely down my cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked, leaning over to wipe the tears from my face with his thumbs.

I sniffed and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"I just… I don't want to have to pretend to fight with you. I want to… I want to be able to hold your hand at school-" a small sob escaped my lips, "-and kiss you in public. And… and I want to have a real wedding. A dream wedding with our parents and families. And…" I paused, "I just want to be able to love you, Derek."

"Shhh," he comforted, taking me into his arms, "It's alright, Case. You can love me. And I can love you. And I _do_ love you. So stop worrying."

It took a moment for him to continue and when he did it was in nothing more than a whisper, "And… and we'll tell our parents. Tomorrow, if you want. We'll tell them about us."

I looked up at him, my tears beginning to dry up, "You mean that?"

"Would I lie to you?"

I buried my face in his chest and mumbled something along the lines of "of course not" before wrapping my arms around his slim waist.

"I love you, Derek."

"I love you, too."

DDD

It was a mistake, of course. Why do you think I had been so against it in the first place? But as Casey and I started to plan our speech out, even I began to think maybe it would be alright.

I should've gone with my instincts. As we all know, they're always right.

It started out okay. Casey and I told our parents that we had something important to tell them. They, of course, thought nothing of it. And so after the younger ones were tucked away safely in their beds, Casey and I made our way downstairs, to where our parents were tiredly awaiting what they probably thought would be us complaining about one another once again.

We decided it would be better not to beat around the bush. And so, there we stood in front of them and Casey wove her fingers through mine and faced them and said clearly and strongly, "Derek and I. We… we love each other."

George's face sunk into about the sourest frown I had ever seen him don. Nora sunk into a chair, her hand over her heart.

"But…but…" Nora stammered, "You were… just yesterday, you were arguing and… just like before…"

Casey and I explained that it had all been staged; concocted to conceal our secret, ever since the vacation they had forced us to take.

It was after the initial shock and the fact that this was really the truth sunk in that the yelling began; screaming, scolding, bellowing. Plus sobbing from both Nora and Casey. There would surely have been a physical confrontation as well, if Nora hadn't held my dad back.

It was nearly two in the morning when they had finally finished their verbal assault. Casey must have been crying for nearly three hours nonstop and at that point was physically shaking and shivering, and George had the nerve to rip my arm from its place around her shoulders. Nora, who had done considerably less shouting and considerably more whimpering, placed her hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Please, let's all just go to bed," she began, then turned to us with an expression all too close to a glare, and swallowed hard before continuing. "We'll deal with… _this_ in the morning."

CCC

Military school. That was their solution to our… _problem_.

It was two days later and Derek had nearly all of his possessions packed away in bags, stuffed into the back of the car. They had told everyone about an hour earlier, giving Derek just enough time to pack and no time to say goodbye to me. Or at least, that was the plan.

But Lizzie had 'hurt her foot' about fifteen minutes before Derek had to leave and an unexpected emergency visit to the hospital was necessary.

"I'm going to stay behind to do my last once-over to make sure I haven't left anything behind," he said to them before they pulled out of the driveway.

I, of course, hadn't left my room since two days before.

As soon as I heard the door close behind him, however, I flew down the stairs and into his waiting arms.

"How can you let them take you away, Derek?" I cried into his chest.

"What can I do about it?" he replied calmly.

"Say no!" I told him, "Refuse to go, threaten them, run away, anything!"

He smiled and stroked the back of my hair, "One year and two months."

"What?"

A car horn sounded, then George's voice yelling that it was time for them to leave. Lizzie came hurrying through the door, apologizing profusely about George and Nora finding out and her only sparing us five minutes. I thanked her anyway and sent her up the stairs.

"One year and two months," Derek repeated.

He leaned down and placed one chaste kiss on the corner of my lips.

"Then we'll both be eighteen. It won't matter whether or not they accept us."

And then he was gone. And I hardly even minded. Because in his absence he left an unspoken promise. A promise that, with all my heart and soul and body, I believed.

A promise that he would come back and we could finally be together.

And as the car backed out of the driveway and its noise, as well as Derek, grew further and further away, I realized I had a smile on my face. Because, if it was for Derek, I knew I could wait.

**

* * *

Well, that's it. Thank you so much for all your support!! Hope you enjoyed reading my story, and please review! Come on, it's the last chapter ::puppy dog eyes:: Pleeeeasee?**


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